Happy Happy Joy Joy! June 15, 2009

     I got a phone call early this afternoon.

 

     It was Kristi, and I could hear her grin through the phone.

 

     “Guess what?!?!”  she (practically) shrieked.  “They found my backpack!  They have my backpack!  It’s at the police station and I can go get it!”

 

     I instantly broke into my version of the happy dance, which, if you saw it would remind you more of the potty dance, but whatever.  There was dancing.  There was celebrating.  There were even tears.

 

     Someone found it next to the canal that runs behind the elementary school that is across the street from our neighborhood.  Everything inside was wet (most things were soaked, thanks to the solid week of rain we’ve gotten), but most of it is salvageable. They had gone through everything and dumped it into one huge (extremely soggy) pile, but aside from a few credit cards, three DVDs, some cash and a little change (okay, about 2 pounds of change) and her laptop, it was all there… plus some snails.  Being the heroic sister that I am, I picked them off and threw them into the street.  (Okay, one.  I picked one off.)  I know that there weren’t snails in her bag when it was stolen, so wasn’t it nice of Mother Nature to leave her a little something to make up for what was taken?

 

     Even the zip drive was there, completely dry and unaffected.

 

     A lot of people prayed for her during the last week, and just the other day I told her that if you went by  my kids’ prayers alone, her backpack should sprout wings and fly through her bedroom window. 

 

     Of course, this way was good, too.  It was a happy, happy day.

When You Burn a Girl a CD (Or, Why I Have a Slight Crush on Jason Mraz) June 11, 2009

When you burn a girl a CD, she will listen to it every single moment she is awake.

After she has listened to it approximately 25 times, she will ask you to print off the lyrics for each song.

After you print off the lyrics, she will sing along.

As she sings along, you begin to pick up the lyrics as well.

After you can sing every song on the CD, some phrases begin to stick out.

As you ponder those phrases, you begin to apply them to certain life experiences.

Those life experiences remind you of other songs, which makes you go to i-Tunes and download them.

After you’ve downloaded those other songs, your daughter hears them and asks you to burn her a new CD.

And, when you burn a girl a CD, she will listen to it every single moment she is awake.

 

 

 

Give me one more day. June 9, 2009

     So, that funny post you were waiting for is not going to happen tonight.

 

     I have four fun guests from Ohio in my house overnight, and while three of them are asleep, the best one of all and I are going to chatter well into the night.

 

     Catch you tomorrow! 

“Steal from Wal-Mart. Not from people.” June 8, 2009

(Lest you flog me verbally for suggesting such a thing, I want to defend my title choice by saying it was a comment response to my sister’s Facebook status, and it was one of the only things that made me giggle today.  I don’t actually think people should steal from ANYBODY, or anything.  Fair enough?

Carry on.)

 

     I had hoped to write something funny and/or charming for today’s post, but the morning got off to a rough start, and instead of cute, you get scary, gritty and sad.

 

     (You  may be asking yourself why you continue to read my blog, and I assure you that very soon, I will be back to my usual witty and hilarious self.  Perhaps even by tomorrow.)

 

     This morning started off the way Mondays usually do– my alarm went off at 4:30 AM, I staggered to the front door to unlock it, rubbed my eyes, got a drink and waited for Kristi to walk in with Abbie.  Right on cue, at 4:35 the door opened, Kristi carried Abbie inside, took off her sweater, kissed her, put her in the playpen and said goodbye, then walked out the door.  Abbie fussed for a minute, and I told her it would be okay, that Mommy was going to work and would be back soon, and I reached behind me to dim the lamp.

 

     All of this took three minutes.  Five, tops, but that’s stretching it.

 

     Suddenly, the front door flew open, swinging so hard it slammed into the door stop.  Kristi yelled, “Call 911!  I’ve just been robbed!”

 

Can every day be Sunday? June 7, 2009

     You know what I love?  Cloudy, overcast days.

 

     You know what else I love?  Long naps after church.

 

     You know what makes a rainy, overcast day of church and lengthy naps even better?  Watching a family-friendly movie* together on a new couch in a dark basement.

 

     Aaaaah, Sunday.

 

 

*Igor.  Funny for children AND parents.

 

 

Turn back the clock June 4, 2009

     Late last night, I was stunned to learn that a high school friend of mine shot himself.

 

     My mind has been doing a lot of wandering today because of the news.  I’ve reminisced about high school, past relationships, who I was then, and who I am now.  I’ve thought a lot about how the changes in my life have shaped me, and then I think about Brad’s family, and the sudden changes that have been thrust upon them.

 

     My heart hurts for them.  And for Brad. 

 

     I’m also emotional about the end of the school year.  Having to leave Kendra’s teacher after two years is particularly difficult.  I am astounded to think that Alex will be in fifth grade next year.  I mean, that’s the grade I taught.  He can’t possibly be as big as those kids, can he?  I miss the toddler stage.  I love who they are becoming, but I miss who they were.

 

     And then I’m reminded of how Brad will never see his boys get to fifth grade, and how his beautiful new baby girl won’t ever really know her daddy, and I get a lump in my throat.  I wish things would have turned out differently for him.  For his family. 

 

     Change is never easy.  This change is heartbreaking.

Sunny with a chance of water balloons April 22, 2009

     Yay! I have a [fairly] quiet minute to sit down and post!

 

     Today has been one of those days where I have been busy ALL DAY LONG, but I have nothing to show for it.  Or, I have things to show for it, but not a single one of them have to do with the million things that need to be done inside my house.  It’s enough to make my head hurt.  Truly, it is.

 

     I woke up just a little past 7:00 AM, but I forced myself to stay in bed until my alarm clock went off at 7:30.  What a waste!  I should have just gotten up.  Because I slept in, I didn’t get Kenny’s lunch made in time, so we had to take it to him.  Normally it isn’t a big deal, but I had Abbie today.  Normally SHE’S not a big deal, but I was trying to get Kenny’s lunch ready, shower, talk on the phone (Rachel, again, you made my day!  I SO needed that conversation!), get some laundry going, get some updates on my mom (who had gall bladder surgery, but she doesn’t want anyone to know, so ssssshh!), get a dinner prepared I could take to my parents, and keep the house from falling down around my ears.

 

     It was a long morning, and aside from the phone call, not a very good one.

 

     I DID get

Country Time, I Love You! April 17, 2009

 

 

 

    We had strawberry lemonade with our meatball-sub dinner last night.

 

     It tasted like summer.

 

    Warmth!  Sunshine!  Outside!

    (Heavenly!)

Another year older, and wiser too (mostly) March 27, 2009

 

Dude.

 

Today, I have a 10-year-old.

 

Duuuuuude.

 

     I swear, it was just yesterday when I heard Dr. Later say, “Yup, he has boy parts!” and I looked into the face of my little cone-headed alien.  I had never felt such a rush of love or devotion to anything in my life, up to that point.  My life-long dream of becoming a mother had come true.

 

     I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I did a birthday tribute for him.  I can’t believe he’s in the double digits, age-wise.  I can’t believe he’s the same age as the obnoxious kids I used to teach.  (But oh, how I loved them!  Most of them.)  I can’t believe I’ve already used up half the time I get to have him here with me, under my roof, getting hugs and sharing stories and talking about things that interest him.

 

     I can’t say enough how much I love him, and how being his mother has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life.

 

     Happy Birthday, Little Man! 

 

Drumroll, please… March 20, 2009

…  WE HAVE A WINNER!!!